The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 639 The Stolen Confidence
Before the playoffs began, each team had a short period of rest and adjustment.

The Portland Trail Blazers, who secured the best record in the league, earned home-court advantage in every series.

This means that before each series begins, they can rest and prepare at home, then welcome their opponents to their home court.

For the Trail Blazers, this is a small but significant advantage, allowing them to relax to the fullest extent after the tiring regular season.

Gan Guoyang, who is usually very diligent in his training, took two days off to spend time at home with his wife and children.

Before he knew it, his son was already two years old, able to talk and walk. But for Forrest Gump, it was a great pity that he had so little time to participate in his son's growth.

Gan Guoyang has always felt quite guilty about this. Although he is very rich and famous and has things that many people can only dream of, his ideal for life has never changed: to be able to play basketball and have his own family.

This is the biggest difference between him and Jordan. Jordan also values ​​his family and has a large family, but Jordan's family situation is more complicated, and he cannot understand Gan Guoyang's inner desires.

During the two days they spent together, Gan Guoyang unusually put down his basketball and focused on being with his wife and children, doing what he should do like an ordinary husband and father.

Gan Guoyang also felt guilty towards his wife. Being the wife of a celebrity is really not easy; it's much harder than being the wife of an ordinary wealthy man.

Wang Fuxi single-handedly took care of the entire family, constantly enduring pressure from all sides. Gan Guoyang was a major star in the United States, and countless media outlets and paparazzi were watching him.

Reporters love to gossip about big-name celebrities to fill their tabloids, attract readers to buy and read them as a form of daily entertainment.

Peeping into the privacy of celebrities is human nature, a basic need like eating, sleeping, and having sex. Where there is demand, there is a market price, and people will do it.

As the NBA develops faster and capital investment becomes more intensive, players like Gan Guoyang, Jordan, Barkley, and Johnson have gained increasing social influence across the United States and even globally. The media, like ubiquitous mosquitoes, swarm around these blood packs, seizing any opportunity to take a bite.

Charles Barkley has become a VIP client of headlines; whenever something happens, the media will send helicopters to report on him.

As for Gan Guoyang, whose influence is two levels higher than Barkley's, whenever any negative news about him occurs, it will definitely be served by helicopters, media broadcast trucks, and CNN headlines.

However, over the years, the media has never captured any negative news about Gan Guoyang.

As the woman beside Gan Guoyang, Wang Fuxi and Gan Guoyang dated, married, and had children from university. Everything went smoothly, with no twists and turns worth digging into for the media.

Moreover, as the two spent more and more time together, their temperaments and personalities became more and more similar. Wang Fuxi gradually grew from a naive and innocent girl into a mature, witty, and even somewhat cunning woman.

She never deliberately avoids the media; on the contrary, she actively approaches and befriends people in the Portland media circle.

For example, on one occasion she invited a paparazzo who was lying in wait near her mansion to her home for a cup of coffee, saying that he was feeling very cold and pitiful while he was staking out outside.

She openly shared some details about her family with the outside world because she knew that hiding things wouldn't work; the more she tried to hide them, the more flies she would attract.

It would be better to be a little more transparent and satisfy the curiosity of outsiders. Once that curiosity is satisfied, the desire to pry will not be so strong.

Wang Fuxi knew that their family was clean and simple, a traditional Chinese family with no juicy secrets to reveal.

Because of her generosity and inclusiveness, she has a very good relationship with the Portland media. And because of her outstanding appearance and extraordinary temperament, TV stations and magazines like to invite her to take photos and do some interview programs.

However, Wang Fuxi doesn't like to show her face in public, only appearing occasionally to leave a fleeting impression. In addition, she often participates in community activities, so she is quite popular and well-regarded in the Portland area. Of course, she has a bad reputation among women her age because too many women are after Forrest Gump.

Overall, Wang Fuxi manages her family with considerable maturity and wisdom, and she does a very good job.

Celebrity families are different from ordinary families; for them, economics and daily life are often not the problem, but rather the external pressure and attention.

Even though Wang Fuxi has done a very good job, there are still tabloid reporters who are unwilling to give up and try to create a big news story at every turn.

In particular, Gan Guoyang's race and skin color determine that there will be a natural group of opponents in the United States who want to see him make a fool of himself.

Gan Guoyang was focused on basketball and had no interest in such matters. At this time, Wang Fuxi would always try to be polite first and then resort to force. Inviting you to his home for coffee was polite, but when the mysterious group burned down your small newspaper office and interview vehicle, that was force.

Especially when some reporters try to pry into the privacy of Gan Guoyang's children, Wang Fuxi will reveal her protective nature and use drastic measures to tell them: I am not someone to be trifled with.

If things get really bad, the funeral home will provide a full range of services. In the past two years, Agan's funeral home business in the West has grown bigger and bigger. He has expanded his business from Oregon to Washington and Nevada, and then eastward to Utah, where he can connect with Colorado. He then goes south to Arizona and California, integrating the funeral services of the entire West Coast.

The funeral industry has become Gan Guoyang's largest business venture outside of basketball. The "Gump-Natt International Services Ltd." he co-founded with Calvin Knight, along with SCI, Alderwoods Group, and Stewart Enterprises, has become one of the four giants of the North American funeral service industry.

Gump-Natt was the youngest but also the fastest-growing of the four. Riding the wave of the US economic boom in the 1990s, they started a game of big fish eating small fish through mergers and acquisitions. In the following decades, these four giants would wage war in the cemetery industry, all of them going public on the New York Stock Exchange and becoming giants that monopolized the American death industry. But that's another story.

I spent the whole day playing with my son, and by evening I had washed up and was getting ready for bed.

Gan Guoyang lay on the extra-long super king-size bed, watching his wife perform skin care.

Wang Fuxi's skin was as smooth and delicate as silk, and at certain angles it would shimmer with a faint glow, like moonlight.

This is inherited from her mother, but it also depends on her postnatal care. After giving birth to a child, her skin quality not only did not deteriorate, but became smoother and fuller due to hormones.

Forrest Gump has always been fascinated by this. Over the years, he has never been able to appreciate the large pores and rough skin of European and American women. It is often the black women with delicate skin, but the skin color of black women... is something that Asians often have both advantages.

Gan Guoyang moved closer to the bed and gently stroked his wife's beautifully curved back. Wang Fuxi twisted her body, patted his hand, and said, "You'll sleep alone tonight."

Gan Guoyang was taken aback and said, "Why should we? The playoffs are coming up soon, shouldn't we let loose a bit? The playoffs will last for more than a month."

How long the playoffs last depends on how far the teams can go, but for Gan Guoyang, the playoffs will last until June.

During the playoffs, Gan Guoyang will abstain from sex to maintain his form and prevent any lapses in performance.

Wang Fuxi slapped his face as he said, "No means no...because..."

As she spoke, she pointed to her stomach.

"Are you on your period?"

Wang Fuxi shook his head and said, "Not relatives, but... something else."

"Are you possessed?"

Wang Fuxi angrily threw down the lotion in her hand, grabbed Gan Guoyang's ear and said, "I'm pregnant again, pregnant!"

Gan Guoyang then realized that his wife was pregnant again. He remembered that the last time his wife was pregnant, it was also during the playoffs.

It seems that his offensive power was indeed more ferocious before and after the playoffs, and he was in good form.

"Not bad, not bad." Gan Guoyang nodded blankly, his mind wandering.

"Nice my foot! Go sleep alone!"

Gan Guoyang willingly went to sleep in the study, and it was another quiet night.

Compared to the anxiety he felt when he first learned he was going to have a child, Gan Guoyang was much calmer now, and felt more relieved and expectant.

He thought to himself, since there's another child, let's add a championship trophy for him/her as a birth gift.
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On April 26, 1991, the Portland Trail Blazers' playoff journey officially began, with their opponent being the Seattle SuperSonics. This year, the SuperSonics had undergone a major overhaul, and the team that had battled the Trail Blazers in the semifinals in the 1987 season was no longer there.

Tom Chambers went to the Washington Bullets, McDaniel went to the Miami Heat, and Dale Ellis went to the Milwaukee Bucks—the former SuperSonics stars all went to the East.

Bickerstaff, who had achieved great results, resigned and temporarily left the NBA coaching circle. His successor, KC Jones, failed to replicate his success with the Celtics.

The Seattle SuperSonics are not lacking in potential. Players like Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Derrick McGee, and Nate McMillan are all young and promising talents.

However, KC Jones was still using his old experience with the Celtics in the 80s to coach, hoping to build a team-oriented basketball style, completely ignoring that this was a group of players who were completely different from the Celtics of the 80s.

From their playing style to their technical characteristics, the SuperSonics are not a typical "champion team." They have always been a team with a unique and even somewhat eccentric style.

The SuperSonics, who won the championship in 1979, are probably one of the most low-key and little-known NBA champions in history, precisely because they seem so obscure.

As a relatively young team, Jones' coaching style and principles are somewhat too rigid.

For example, even in 1991, he still didn't like his players shooting three-pointers—before Dale Ellis was there, the SuperSonics were a pretty good three-point shooting team.

The SuperSonics averaged only 5.2 three-point attempts per game in the regular season, far below the league average, meaning that Jones did not design any three-point plays at all, and the players' shots were improvised.

Furthermore, despite being a relatively weak offensive team, the SuperSonics have one of the highest turnover rates in the league. In addition to the players being young, another important reason is that Jones's tactics are too complicated, not concise and clear enough, with too many rules and regulations, and not enough room for error.

If the players are experienced veterans with years of tacit understanding, they can master a relatively complex system and achieve the best team results.

For young teams, getting the ball and going for it is often the best option.

Of course, Jones' coaching in the regular season was not satisfactory, but the playoffs are another battlefield.

Some teams have mediocre regular season performances, enter the top eight with low draft picks, but often become very difficult to beat in the playoffs.

While KC Jones may be old-fashioned, his emphasis on details, defense, and discipline often proves effective in the playoffs.

Therefore, the Trail Blazers' first game against the SuperSonics at home was not an easy one.

The SuperSonics, comprised mainly of young players, are fearless and energetic. Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, and Glen Rice form the SuperSonics' young and formidable trio.

With their disciplined playing style and quick thinking, they engaged in a close battle with the experienced Trail Blazers in the first half. The two teams were evenly matched in the first half, with the Trail Blazers leading the SuperSonics by only 2 points.

In the third quarter, just when everyone thought the Trail Blazers would go on a run and take down the SuperSonics, the SuperSonics actually withstood the pressure and disrupted the Trail Blazers' offense with extremely aggressive defense.

Apart from Agan, the Trail Blazers' other players had a poor offensive shooting night.

Fortunately, Gan Guoyang was in superb form, scoring 33 points in three quarters, helping the Trail Blazers maintain their lead throughout the game.

The young SuperSonics displayed confidence and courage, launching a full-scale counterattack in the fourth quarter using defense and fast breaks, at one point closing the gap to just one point.

At this moment, Sabonis, Reggie Lewis, and Gan Guoyang stepped up together, using their individual abilities to score consecutive points and successfully defend.

In the final stages of the fourth quarter, the Trail Blazers went on a 10-2 run against the SuperSonics, widening the gap and securing the victory.

Gan Guoyang scored 43 points in the first game, helping his team defeat the SuperSonics 112-104 by 8 points and secure a winning start to the playoffs.

The Trail Blazers didn't play well in this game, but in the post-game interview, Gan Guoyang said frankly: "It's not that we played badly, but that the SuperSonics played very well tonight. Their defense suppressed us. I think in time, they will become a strong opponent for the Trail Blazers in the West."

Gan Guoyang's praise made the Seattle media a little embarrassed.

Having gotten used to Forrest Gump's psychological attacks, this sudden attack feels a bit strange.

However, just two days later, the SuperSonics players realized that this was nothing more than a ploy by Gan Guoyang to deceive them.

In the second game, the Trail Blazers, having adjusted their strategy, gave the SuperSonics no chance, outscoring the young team 61-35 in the first half, leading by as many as 26 points.

The game quickly lost its suspense, and the third and fourth quarters became mere formalities. KC Jones tried to rouse the young players' fighting spirit, but it was completely ineffective.

The Trail Blazers taught the young players a lesson with a 35-point blowout, showing them that a close game doesn't mean the two teams are truly even.

The SuperSonics had a chance to redeem themselves back at home, and they played very tenaciously at KeyArena.

But at crucial moments, Petrovic hit consecutive shots over Payton, and Payton made several turnovers when he was double-teamed while dribbling, causing the SuperSonics to lose their hope of stealing a victory.

The Trail Blazers conquered their first away game of the playoffs and swept the SuperSonics 3-0 to advance to the semifinals—for Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers, a first-round sweep was as easy as eating and drinking.

In Gan Guoyang's professional career, he only played four games in the first round of the playoffs in 1988, losing one away game. In all other seasons, he was swept.

He won't give weaker teams any chance to steal the victory.

Because when your victory is stolen, your confidence is stolen along with it.

Confidence is more precious than gold.

Meanwhile, in another Western Conference matchup, the San Antonio Spurs, who had home-court advantage, won their first game as expected, but were then swept 3-1 by the Golden State Warriors and eliminated from the competition!

The Spurs, who finished second in the Western Conference, were thus eliminated from the playoffs this season, while the Golden State Warriors, who finished seventh, completed another "Black Seven Miracle" in NBA history.

This defeat not only cost the Spurs the chance to go further, but also caused David Robinson to lose a lot of confidence.

That confidence was never found again, many, many years later.

However, David Robinson, who converted to Christianity, sought himself elsewhere.

Before entering the NBA in 1988, he dated a girlfriend named Valerie.

After entering the NBA, David Robinson felt lost due to the drastic changes in his life.

While he tried to find guidance in the Bible, he also decided to break up with his girlfriend.

He said some heartless things, but he regretted it after the breakup, and Valerie was all he could think about.

Robinson was extremely frustrated after losing the first round of the playoffs to the Golden State Warriors.

He decided to call Valerie and pour out his troubles of the past two years, as well as his conversion to God.

Surprisingly, Valerie also turned to God after her breakup; she was in so much pain that she needed religion to heal herself.

The two found new common ground, reconciled, and that summer, Robinson proposed to Valerie.

He found his own life.

(End of this chapter)